Halim(Haleem)|Persian wheat and lamb porridge

Halim is a stew-like dish, the main ingredient of which is wheat. This dish, which is popular for breakfast and Iftar, comes from the middle east.

The word Halim means shredded meat in Arabic!

Since the main ingredient of Haleem is whole wheat, and with the properties it holds, this dish can provide your body with a lot of nutrients.

 This dish is really simple to cook and by not using the meat used in it, it can be a perfect dish for vegetarians.

Despite the simplicity, this dish takes a long while to prepare because the wheat must be cooked, stirred and mashed. This process requires a long time.

Don’t forget that Haleem is as popular as kaleh pacheh for Iranian people.

Halim | Persian wheat and lamb porridge

Lose yourself in this Persian cuisine our Haleem Recipe. Try this flavorful wheat an lamb porridge today!

If you are looking for an easy and quick

Halim recipe to try at home, this one will take you straight to what you desire. Smooth, rich and full of flavors, this Halim recipe is a perfect balance of taste and health. 

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 3 hours hrs

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Course Breakfast

Cuisine persian

Servings 4 people

Calories 150 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 300 grams pealed wheat
• 300 grams  mutton
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Butter as much as required for serving
• cinnamon as much as required for serving
• sugar as much as required for serving

Instructions

 

• After washing the wheat, it must be left in some warm water for 24 hours.
• Separate the wheat from the water. Use some fresh water to cook the wheat in a pot. At first the flame of the gas burner must be high for the water to start boiling.

  After that, lower the flame of the gas burner and add some oil. Don’t forget to stir it every now and then.

  It should be cooked long enough to be mashed (about 4hours). after that use a sieve and separate the remaining pieces of the skin of the wheat.
• Chop an onion into four pieces. Cook the meat and the onions in a pot using two cops of water. Add some cinnamon to the pot.

  When the meat is cooked, shred it.
• When the wheat is completely cooked, add the meat and salt to the wheat. Use a piece of cloth as an infuser on top of the pot and cover the pot with its lid.

  Again, every now and then stir the Halim because the mutton used in it, might burn.

Serving and topping Halim

Put some Halim in a bowl and top it with some sesame, slices of almond, dried damask rose, sugar and cinnamon.

The very common ingredient Persians use for the topping of halim is cinnamon. Here are some reasons it is the best topping powder you can use for your delicious halim;

• It is very healthy because it makes your body metabolism higher.
• The smell of this stem is perfect and it can make the smell of halim much better.
• It is rich in different antioxidants. What can be better that a cinnamon stick powdered finely for your delicious Halim? Nothing!
• It can have positive effect on hearth disease risk factors, like blood cholesterol.
• It increases the sensitivity to insulin hormone which can be really beneficial for some people.

Some people prefer to use salt instead. Generally, Halim can be eaten with both sugar and salt.

Tips for cooking Halim

The more wheat you use, the more time is required.

Different types of meat can be used for cooking this dish, the best types are neck meat, breast meat and meat chop.

If the Halim is sticky, it’s much more pleasant to eat. The stickiness of Halim depends on the type of the meat used. The best one is meat chop. Remember that the meat must be first cooked and then chopped. Do not use minced meat.

Meatless Halim can be a perfect dish for vegetarians.

 Make sure to use some melted butter as topping.

Nazri!

Have you ever heard of Nazri? Nazri distribution is a centuries – old tradition among Iranians.

It’s an ancient Persian tradition that the people cook food and give it to others, including the poor, friends and family, in their religious ceremonies. This charity food or free food, is called Nazri.

Persians kept the meaning of cooking Halim, but they also added a new sense to it. Halim was served warm, and it counted as breakfast.

Why is Halim beneficial?

• Halim is rich in zinc, magnesium, iron, niacin, fat, protein, carbohydrates and calcium.
• Haleem improves heart health and reduces heart disease because the fiber in whole wheat lowers blood cholesterol and lowers blood pressure, controls blood sugar and reduces the risk of blood clots.
• Halim made from whole wheat has a lot of fiber and can cure gastrointestinal diseases, colon and breast cancer.
• Eating Halim is useful for preventing constipation and cancer like colon cancer.
• Whole wheat has anti-parasitic characteristics and prevents allergies and food intolerances such as irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis and neurological diseases.
• Eating Halim is good for women, young girls and people who are prone to anemia because Halim is a good source of iron due to its wheat and meat.